Believe it or not, my eyes got a little moist and I almost cried while progressing through Start Point for the fourth time, no less magical an experience than the first. I swear that this game was born to be on a handheld, because the sheer enormity of Cave Story's universe crammed inside two DS screens feels like having the world in the palm of your hand.

The transition to DSiWare is near-perfect aside from (as Corbie said in his review) no map all the time and the audio sounding a tad compressed at certain points. The former just has to be tolerated, but it's not like the map is that useful anyways, and the latter is easily remedied by plugging in a pair of headphones.

The graphics, even if they're the original set, still look amazing, and the all of the text and UI stuff besides health and weapon ammo on the touch screen works like a charm, giving the visual presentation an edge over the WiiWare one. DSiWare version having an actual Jukebox mode instead of just a random sound test makes it a little bit better in that category too, considering the remixed tunes for the WiiWare update still don't trump the originals in most cases.

In short, this is the definitive version of Cave Story out there, frilly and superficial extras be darned, and I implore anyone in America who has not played the game yet to give it a go, like right now.

@blink83 Do you call NSMB Wii, Punch-Out!! (Wii), SMG2, SSBB, BIS, Retro Game Challenge, SMS, TTYD, Kirby and the Amazing Mirror, SMA4: SMB3, and Banjo Kazooie, some of my favorite games of all time, "downloadable?" I only have three or four DLs on my "Best Ever" list, and the reason you think they're all I like is probably because Nintendo Life is a very download-oriented site and recent titles such as BIT.TRIP RUNNER and Cave Story are cotton-pickin' unparalleled and as such I can't stop talking about them, etc.

According to Nintendo Power it's the Sanctuary Time Attack mode that was in the WiiWare version. Curly Mode was pointless and Boss Rush mode was boring because the bosses were no longer organically placed in the game's world, so I see why they cut those two out. It definitely feels more "pure" than the WiiWare version.

@blink83 Do you call NSMB Wii, Punch-Out!! (Wii), SMG2, SSBB, BIS, Retro Game Challenge, SMS, TTYD, Kirby and the Amazing Mirror, SMA4: SMB3, and Banjo Kazooie, some of my favorite games of all time, "downloadable?" I only have three or four DLs on my "Best Ever" list, and the reason you think they're all I like is probably because Nintendo Life is a very download-oriented site and recent titles such as BIT.TRIP RUNNER and Cave Story are cotton-pickin' unparalleled and as such I can't stop talking about them, etc.

I was in the credits of the WiiWare version the day it was released. Someone caught it and made a big deal about it on the forums. I just now found out my name was in this one. Maybe it was because I suggested the game be put on DSiWare.

All hail Corbie for the suggestion for the port to DSiWare! Wow! I guess I owe a lot to you. Thx 4 suggesting it 2 Nicalis! BTW I just beat Hell (after trying 8 times ). The time attack mode is kinda pointless, like MysteriousVoice said, but hey, with the story, time attack, and jukebox modes, it's okay for 10 bucks! P.S. Does anyone know how to unlock the last three songs in the Jukebox? Quote me if you do.

@MV You got the best ending? Major props, man. But why would you expect it to be any different than in the original, considering the rest of the game is the same?

I've been playing it way too much over the past few days, and after like thirty minutes of trying to get that stupid Alien Medal from the Ironhide or whatever fight, I'm at the Egg Corridor? Game is heaven on earth.

And guys, I think Time Attack just serves as a way to play through Sanctuary outside of Story Mode.

Final Cave is sooooooooooooooooooo hard. I always forget how utterly absorbing this game is. It's one of those few games where the graphics, art direction, gameplay, story, music and level design perfectly compliment each other, creating an experience that, for my money, simply hasn't been topped in the 2D gaming medium. Cave Story will never get the respect it deserves, simply because it's a 2D, pixel-art game in a 3D world.

I got this game the day it came out, and I just wanted to say that this is one of the best games I've ever played, and definitely the best DSiWare/WW game I've played. I just loooove the art style of it, and the music too. And I don't really know how to explain it, but the gameplay seems, smoother somehow compared to other games. This game is just like, almost perfect

If anyone was on the fence about getting this game, or wanted it a while back but didn't get it, I would recommend getting it. This game is like a 11/10 for me

GAH HATE SPOILERS WTFFFFFF!!!!!!!! We totes need the spoiler things like on BL wtf. But anyways Dsiware CS is AMAZING. So if your on the fence about this. Buy it. NAO! Also if you're not interested. BUy IT NAO!

I got this game the day it came out, and I just wanted to say that this is one of the best games I've ever played, and definitely the best DSiWare/WW game I've played. I just loooove the art style of it, and the music too. And I don't really know how to explain it, but the gameplay seems, smoother somehow compared to other games. This game is just like, almost perfect

If anyone was on the fence about getting this game, or wanted it a while back but didn't get it, I would recommend getting it. This game is like a 11/10 for me

Yay! I'm so glad that Nicalis is really getting behind this game so more people can experience it--and I'm very glad to hear that people are liking it. It's definitely one of my all time favorite games (possibly my favorite), so I'm hoping if enough people download it they can convince Pixel to make a sequel It's already one of the top selling WiiWare games in the US, hopefully it has the same success in EU